A pensioner who spent an hour entangled in live power wires after falling down an unprotected utility trench says he has never been more terrified.
David Gorton was leaving his home in Margate High Street when he stumbled into a UK Power Networks (UKPN) hole, knocking himself unconscious in the pouring rain.
As he awoke unable to move, he was surrounded by scores of firemen warning him to stay still or risk being electrocuted as he lay helplessly surrounded by live cables.
The 69-year-old, a retired firefighter, says his near-death experience has left him traumatised two weeks on from the incident and admits he feared for his life.
“I put it like this, in all the experiences I’ve ever had – fighting fires, rescuing people, road traffic accidents, you name it – that was by far the most terrifying,” said the Old Cottage Pub owner.
“When I woke up, I was face down in the mud, it was pouring rain and I couldn’t move my legs – they were trapped under a live wire, I could hear it humming and crackling.
“I just had horrible visions of a sudden flash or something, you know, in the rain, and that would have been the end of me.”
Having only just returned from a short holiday via his back door, Mr Gorton had not been around to the front of the property in days and was unaware of the gaping hole dug outside his home.
As he stepped outside, he turned towards the road while he shut the door.
While there was protective fencing in the High Street, it had not been extended as far as the front of the site – meaning
The 20-foot-long trench was dug by UKPN, who David says only made efforts to contact him to find out whether he planned to make a claim or not.
He was also left unimpressed by the lack of notice given by the utility company in the weeks before the excavation efforts.
David told KentOnline: “It just seems that they were oblivious to the fact that someone could actually come out of the front door and disappear down the trench.
“Why didn’t they put a barrier across the front door or put a note through the door before?
“What kind of health and safety risk assessment they did before they dug the hole. God alone knows, for that to happen.
“It’s mind-bending that someone or a group of people could be employed to do that.
“Until there’s a proper investigation, no one really knows what went wrong.”
Kent Fire and Rescue Service confirmed two fire engines attended the incident on January 5, and crews assisted SECAmb paramedics.
UK Power Networks has confirmed it is investigating the matter. The company has been approached for further comment.
